The grassroots protest — with the convenience of not having to get off one’s chair — is growing in significance because of the large numbers of Malaysians, many of whom are possibly voters, joining in to protest.
The number of fans on the “1M Malaysians Reject 100-storey Mega Tower” page are growing at a breakneck pace, estimated at 1,000 an hour. At last count, 181,193 fans have signed up.
The Facebook page’s creators are claiming it to be the world’s first mega online demonstration and attempts to gain fans by highlighting its advantages over street protests.
A video posted on the page illustrates the convenience and safety of an online protest over typical demonstrations marked by violent crackdowns — with the words “Protest from the comfort of your own home. Traditionally, this is what a peaceful protest looks like. And this is a typical response to peaceful protests in Malaysia. It is because of ‘fear’ the people are afraid to express themselves” — slotted in between short clips of Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) and police officers charging at protestors.
Various demonstrations like the Reformasi movement in 1998 and the Bersih rally calling for electoral reforms in 2007 were broken up with teargas and chemical-laced water cannons.
“But now...using technologies costing WELL UNDER 5 BILLION RINGGIT, the people have a new weapon. Protest from comfort of your own home. Give it a try! This Sunday 24/10/2010, in protest of the 5 Billion Ringgit ‘Mega Tower’” states one video.
“All it takes for change is a little change. Voila. You have just contributed to online collective action and created awareness. It’s simple and safe! So what are you waiting for!? Let us make known what the people of Malaysia think about Najib’s 100-Storey Mega Tower!” the video concludes.
The Facebook profile picture of the Malaysian online demonstration sums up its raison d’être succinctly: “Now everyone can say no to mega tower”.
New comments are posted almost every minute, like the incessant updates of a sports commentator.
Compared to the massive Bersih rally that garnered some 40,000 protestors, the anti-Warisan Merdeka online demonstration snagged more than four times that amount in the 10 days after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced the skyscraper project in his Budget 2011 speech.
In contrast, two pro-Warisan Merdeka Facebook pages titled “Kami Sokong Menara Warisan” and “I see the benefits of PNB’s 100 storey tower” gained 2,105 fans collectively as of yesterday.
On the anti-Warisan Merdeka page, Malaysians of all races — some of whom stay anonymous with names like Roy UnCensored and Tarzan Malaya — have criticised the tower and other forms of governmental abuses, such as Putrajaya’s wastages as recorded in the Auditor-General’s report that was announced yesterday.
“Cukup-lah, Petronas Twin Tower kan dah ada. Idea basi! No to the stupid tower!!!” said a fan called Kong Wai Keong.
Another fan, Juliana Low, posted a link to a report from The Malaysian Insider titled “Audit shows stimulus package projects paid but not delivered”.
“The wall posts are coming in fast and furious, so I feel it necessary to re-post this link as a stark reminder of why this tower project is a senseless waste. Please read and share. You will not see this in mainstream media,” she said.
User Faizal Daud, sporting a “No Warisan Merdeka. People Power” profile picture, pointed out that the planned skyscraper could rack up higher bills than its RM5 billion estimate, citing various wasteful government projects as highlighted in the AG’s report.
“Today’s newspaper highlight on how projects under government overspend, lack of financial and cost control, very poor on estimating budget. It’s proven base on recent Audit Findings. So there is high probability that it can cost more than 5 billion when it’s completed,” he said.
Instead of brandishing banners in a traditional street demonstration, many Malaysians expressed their discontent by using digital placards from the Facebook page’s 165-image collection as their profile pictures.
Fans could also click “Like” to vote for their favourite placards.
Many of the “placards” feature messages written on cardboard images calling for alternative uses of RM5 billion, such as: “RM5 billion to help stop child abuse”; “RM5 billion. Improve facilities for the disabled”; “No mega tower! We want world class public transport system!”; and “RM5 billion untuk rakyat di pedalaman (RM5 billion for the rural people)”.
Some also bore designs that mimic the government’s anti-smoking “Tak Nak” campaign but replaces the cigarette with a tower instead.
Another is an image of evil lord Sauron’s The Dark Tower of Barad-dûr from the book “The Lord of the Rings” with the 1 Malaysia logo super-imposed on it, together with the words “One Tower to Fool Them All”.
Besides digital placards, the anti-Warisan Merdeka page features six videos calling on Malaysians to protest the skyscraper project.
One titled “Be Part of the History — World’s 1st Mega Online Demonstration [HQ]” shows a demonstration by Malaysian lawyers for judicial reform; the Bersih rally; a demonstration by the Indian community in 2007; a DAP political talk before the historic Election 2008; and, finally, a message calling on people to join the Facebook demonstration.
Facebook user Muhammad Syafiq Abdul Malik heeded the video’s exhortation and questioned Najib’s 1 Malaysia slogan that has been lambasted by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as an empty slogan amid rising racial tension.
“Yang kaya makin kaya, yang miskin makin miskin.ape jd ngan janji ‘rakyat didahulukan’? (The rich grow richer, the poor grow poorer. What happened to the promise ‘people first’?)”, he asked.
Despite the Najib administration’s repeated explanations that the project undertaken by government-linked investment corporation Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) would not use government funds, Malaysians have remained sceptical.
Another user, Chek Thurn Tan, questioned if the government would have to bear PNB’s losses as government officers sat on the corporation’s board of trustees.
“And if PNB suffers losses, the government have to bare [sic] the loss as they are the one sitting at the boar...d of trustees? So who’s money at the end?” he said.
Angry Malaysians also called on voters to express their dissatisfaction at the ballot box.
“Just vote out blardy BN. No point complaining if you guys/gals dun go all out and vote for PR. Let’s ALL of us get more voters for PR and then we can 2gether bury BN for good this coming...... GE 13.,” said Simon Lee, posting a picture of a red cross against the BN scales logo with the words “say no to BN”.
PR leaders have derided the grandiose skyscraper project as wasteful and accused Najib of trying to “out-Mahathir” former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who embarked on a massive development spree after he took power in 1981 by building highways, the Penang Bridge, opening new industrial estates and oversaw the construction of the Petronas Twin Towers, the KL International Airport, the Sepang International Circuit, intra-city train lines, several ports, and the new administrative capital Putrajaya and its neighbouring Cyberjaya, which was central to the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) project.
The prime minister appeared to distance himself from the controversial tower when he made it known that the project did not originate from him but PNB.
He nevertheless defended it, saying that it would have a “multiplier effect” on the economy and help drive it forward, in addition to providing an attractive commercial centre for Bumiputera and non-Bumiputera businesses alike.
In his Budget 2011 speech, Najib said the rationale for the Warisan Merdeka tower was similar to that of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, in that it would serve as a symbol of a modern and developed Malaysia.
The 19-acre development area of the mega project — which includes a condominium and a shopping mall — is sited on the car park and land adjacent to Stadium Negara and Stadium Merdeka.
